Facebook Navigates an Internet Fractured by Governmental Controls
“But when you look at the data and truly listen to the people around the world who rely on our service, it’s clear
that we do a much better job of bringing people together than polarizing them.”
Mr. Zuckerberg had wined and dined Chinese politicians, publicly showed off his newly acquired Chinese-language skills — a moment
that set the internet abuzz — and talked with a potential Chinese partner about pushing the social network into the market, according to a person familiar with the talks who declined to be named because the discussions were confidential.
At a White House dinner in 2015, Mr. Zuckerberg had even asked the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, whether Mr. Xi might offer a Chinese
name for his soon-to-be-born first child — usually a privilege reserved for older relatives, or sometimes a fortune teller.
Capturing those last users — including in Asian nations like Vietnam and African countries like Kenya — may involve more government roadblocks.
One line read, “One century has passed, we are still poor and hungry, do you ask why?”
The social network, they have said, had agreed to help create a new communications channel with the government to prioritize Hanoi’s requests
and remove what the regime considered inaccurate posts about senior leaders.
But on Mr. Xi’s propaganda page, Mr. Zuckerberg got only one mention — in a list of the many tech executives who met the Chinese president.
Still, the company said it respected Europe’s stance on data protection, particularly
in Germany, where many citizens have long memories of government surveillance.
